Big Ten Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

It’s the dawn of another college basketball season and Big Ten Basketball is prepared for battle. It was arguably the most competitive conference in the sport last season, with teams jockeying for NCAA Tournament position all season long.

Michigan and Purdue entered the season as the two favorites in the conference. The latter largely lived up to expectations and finished third in the conference, but the Wolverines barely finished above .500 in conference play during the regular season.

Instead, it was Wisconsin and Illinois to emerge from the pack, tying for the conference regular season title with 15-5 Big Ten records. Iowa, however, was the team to capture the Big Ten Tournament crown.

But that was then and this is now. The 2022-23 season is set to be a different animal, with some of the best players in the conference last year on to new adventures.

With the 2022-23 college basketball season just a few weeks away from tipping off, let’s take a look at the Big Ten pecking order.

Coaching continuity in the conference is relatively strong. There was only one coaching change during the offseason, which saw Maryland snag Kevin Willard from Seton Hall to replace Mark Turgeon, who parted ways with the Terps mid-year.

There has been more turnover in the player ranks. Player of the Year Johnny Davis was a lottery pick in the draft, Freshman of the Year Malaki Branham went to the NBA and so did Sixth Man of the Year Trevion Williams. No members of the All-Big Ten First Team return.

So who will step up and help their program emerge from the pack? Let’s take a look at the Big Ten preseason rankings.